Local News

Fort Morgan Council approves three liquor license items

Fort Morgan police receive new patrol cars

ByJENNI GRUBBS Times Staff Writer

Posted:
02/06/2013 10:20:34 AM MST

Wendy Tong, co-owner of Little Bamboo restaurant, addresses the Fort Morgan City Council during the public hearing Tuesday night about her application for a full liquor license. The council approved the new license for Little Bamboo, which had previously held a wine and beer license. Seated behind Tong, at left, is Ronald Sand, whose application for a new wine and beer license for Sand's Chicken Inn was accepted for consideration by the council. A public hearing on that liquor license application was scheduled for March 19.
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The Fort Morgan City Council approved a new liquor license, transferred ownership of an existing one, and accepted yet another new application Tuesday night.

Fort Morgan restaurant Little Bamboo received a new hotel and restaurant liquor license -- malt, vinous and spirituous liquors that will allow the sale of liquor in addition to beer and wine at 613 W. Platte Ave.

The restaurant had previously held a wine and beer license, but co-owner Wendy Tong said it had been her goal for some time to get a full liquor license.

During a public hearing about the application, Tong said that her customers had been requesting cocktails with their dinner, not wine and beer.

She provided evidence of the neighborhood's desire for the license to be granted, consisting of petitions with 145 valid signatures in favor of the new license.

There was no written or stated opposition, according to City Clerk/Public Information Officer John Brennan.

Fort Morgan Police Chief Keith Kuretich testified that Tong had a clear record and that her previous license was "in good standing."

Little Bamboo had held a beer and wine license from 2009 to Dec. 3, 2012.

The restaurant's owners had allowed this license to expire in anticipation of filing the license for a new full liquor license.

But Tong did tell the council that Little Bamboo had experienced a couple of issues in the past with servers not following the rules for serving alcohol, including serving to minors.

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But she said that those problems had been corrected right away, with the employees being retrained.

She told the council that Little Bamboo was prepared for having a full liquor license.

Councilwoman Deb Forstedt asked if the goal was to extend the drink menu, which Tong confirmed, saying she wanted to add cocktails as a dinner drink option.

City Manager Jeff Wells asked Tong how getting the full license would meet the wants and needs of the community.

"Many customers are asking for cocktails," she reiterated.

There were no other speakers during the hearing, either in favor of or against the license.

However, Councilman Scott Bryan spoke in favor of it.

"I eat there on occasion, and from my observation, Wendy runs a real good business," he said. "And I would not want to be her employee that sold to a minor."

After the public hearing, the council voted unanimously to approve the new full liquor license for Little Bamboo.

Tong told The Fort Morgan Times that she was happy about the council's decision.

"It's the next step for our business," she said. "I always wanted to expand the drink menu."

The council also approved transferring ownership of the 3.2 percent beer retail license for the 7-Eleven at 703 E. Platte Ave.

This was necessary because 7-Eleven Inc. signed a franchise agreement with K Stores Inc. for the east 7-Eleven store, and the corporation and franchise holder had applied for a joint license.

Brennan said this had been an "unusual situation" for the city, but the state liquor licensing division told him it was a "pretty common practice" for 7-Eleven and franchisees statewide.

He said that 7-Eleven customers likely would not notice any changes under the joint license.

"This should be a pretty invisible change to the general public," he said.

And the council formally accepted for consideration an application for a new beer and wine license -- malt and vinous liquors for Sand's Chicken Inn at 725 Main St.

Local businessman Ronald Sand applied for the license for new restaurant Sand's Chicken Inn, to be located in the building that formerly housed Memories Restaurant.

Because Sand plans to add a new outdoor seating area and service area behind the restaurant, a new license would be necessary, rather than transferring the location's previous beer and wine license from the bank that owned the property, according to Brennan.

Mayor Terry McAlister pointed out to Sand that he still remembered the businessman's previous restaurant with the same name in another part of the city.

"The only thing I have for you, Ron, is I don't know how I'm going to get away from saying Chicken Inn over on West Platte Avenue," he said. "I said that for so many years."

"I know, but I have to bring that with me," Sand replied.

With the council's acceptance of the application, a public hearing was scheduled for March 19.

Other action

The council also approved buying two new patrol vehicles for the Fort Morgan Police Department.

Replacing the vehicles is part of the department's capital improvement plan, Lt. Jared Crone said.

Being replaced were a 2003 Chevrolet Impala with about 93,000 miles and another Impala with about 90,000 miles, he said.

The city received three bids: 2013 Dodge Chargers for $25,307 each from Colorado Springs Dodge, 2013 Ford Interceptors for $26,204 from Sill-Terhar Ford of Broomfield and 2013 Chevrolet Caprice for $30,573 from Mike Shaw Auto/John Elway of Colorado Springs.

Two other bids, one each from Sill-Terhar and Mike Shaw, were for larger vehicles, but Crone said these were not what the department needed.

Crone recommended the council approve the bid from Colorado Springs Dodge, citing other Dodge vehicles used for patrol that had not had recurring mechanical or other problems.

The total bid from Colorado Springs Dodge that the council approved was for $50,614.

The city had budgeted $75,000 for the new patrol vehicles. Crone said that the remaining $24,386 would be available to the department for equipping the new vehicles.

The council also approved bids for purchasing electric conductors for the Light and Power Department for 2013 in an amount not to exceed $195,000.

Inventory Control Superintendent Doug Hofman said that four companies placed bids: Western United Electric of Brighton, Stuart C. Irby of Denver, Wesco Distribution of Denver and Kriz-Davis Co. of Scottsbluff, Neb.

Hofman recommended the council accept the bid prices from Kriz-Davis for overhead and secondary underground conductors, as it was the lowest bid on those items. He also recommended approval of the Western United Electric bid for primary underground conductors, as it was the only bid received on that type of part.

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